State Reports were assigned on March 20th, and due April 22nd. The logic we followed was to give the kids a full month, but have the reports due on a Tuesday, instead of a Monday so they could have that one last school day for questions after the weekend. Well...when this was decided, we were thinking logically, not "curriculum-ly." April 22nd is Earth Day. While it didn't pose too great of a problem for my teammate, I had an Earth Day themed day planned. Parents bringing in state reports/state reports & projects all over my room/students wanting to present state reports really messed with my plans, and it was my own fault.

These things happen, but my suggestion is to write all the Significant School Days directly into the plan book in the future. Even if I don't have a future conflict, it's better planning.

Teacher Reflection

Adjustments to Practice: Teacher Reflection

5th Grade State Report

5th Grade State Report

Unit 7: Reports for Many Genres
Lesson 7 of 7

Objective: TSWBAT determine why they'd like to research a certain state...then do so!

After many years of assigning state reports, I decided to give the kids an opportunity to choose whichever state they wanted to research. Knowing that most already had a favorite in mind didn't deter me from trying to expose them to other possibilities. Kids are making decisions all the time, and sometimes without much thought. I want them to learn that before making choices, it's important to be educated about options. This unique way of deciding on a state is good practice. Enter...the activity.

I take them to the library for this activity. My objective is to get them thinking about the different states in the different regions of the country. In addition, the chance to focus on their own likes and dislikes, characteristics that appeal to them, and favorite locations in regard to where they'd like to visit or live someday. With all of the reference books and non-fiction texts in the United States books' section in our library at their disposal, lots of data is taken down.

Research opportunities with CCS have deviated from the lengthy projects of the past. With W.5.7 students are conducting short research projects that use several sources to build their knowledge. Although the traditional 5th grade state report has been changed, I believe the "less is more" adage and see the kids benefiting from their research more than when it was laborious.

We have a regularly scheduled library day, but during State Report Season I fit in an extra forty-five minute research/work period each week. Our library has great resources and it's also a nice way for me to observe their researching skills and work habits.

I encourage them to work efficiently during these sessions. Here are students working on all types of state report tasks and especially at those components that are harder to complete at home. For instance, using an excellent regions map book helps students to more accurately draw the state map of Hawaii. Students can trace state outlines, and read the relevant information. This is less complicated than using an atlas for the activity. They also like to use the giant windows to trace. There are other reference materials that aren't able to be checked out, so they need to take advantage of what's in front of them on those research days. Another consideration is text complexity. Content and text can be challenging, so having a teacher or librarian right there as a resource is advantageous. It can't be stressed enough that writing the text in their own words is the only way to go. When I observe kids writing and not using their own words, I'm happy to be right there to explain, correct, and help them find alternatives.

With longer reports, such as these, presentations need to be abbreviated. Kids are excited to listen at first, but after a lot of them, attention spans are expired and disrespectful behavior begins. I avoid this with the shorter presentations, but it doesn't take away from sharing. I expect the kids to exhibit excellent listening skills- writing down questions if they have them. By this time in the year, they are all accustomed to standing before their classmates and speaking. It makes me proud to see how even my reserved kids are confident in front of their classmates now.

I assess their state report with a rubric of all research components, and their speaking and listening evaluation is a separate grade. Separating the standards is easier with our school district's standardized based reporting.

After everyone has presented their report, we walk our state report projects down to the library for temporary display. I warn my students that their projects will sit on top of a bookcase, and other kids may touch them, even if told not to. This disclaimer may discourage a few from participating in the mini-exhibit, but at least everyone has been warned...

Thanks so much for leaving a comment. I was happy with the way the lesson turned out. The kids had a good time, and I felt like it added substance for them to consider reasons behind their choices (certainly better than when I drew names for states!) A Kid's Guide to Drawing America series will enhance their report. If you can get your library to purchase, I suggest they be kept as reference books, and not ever checked out. Ours are still in great condition after at least ten years. The kids love how beautiful their symbols look. Have a great year! Heather

I love the "Approach to the Report" section for this. I usually assign my students their states but this would create an interest for the kids and most likely result in a great report. I would love to get A Kid's Guide to Drawing America series for our library- my students struggled with the drawing of state symbols and state seals for their report covers. I look forward to trying this lesson out this school year. Jennifer

Big Idea:
In this lesson, the class researches invertebrate animal phylums by viewing a Powerpoint Presentation, pictures, and a video of animals in each phylum. Then, students summarize their learning by writing a paragraph about the many types of invertebrates.